5 Golden Rules for creating Domain Names

Domain names are being registered at such a furious rate that it is becoming more and more difficult to come up with good domain names. These rules are designed to help you in the process of creating new domain names. However, please remember that your domain name many not catch fire and light up the 'Net, even if you follow all these rules scrupulously.

It is probably better to consider these rules as guidelines. If you want to break these rules, be my guest. There are no absolutes in the domain name market. Please choose a rule and get stuck into dreaming up domain names.

Avoid clever puns

When investing, think like an investor

Buy up all the alternatives to a domain name

Don't "tailgate"

Don't rush, but don't dawdle

 

Avoid Clever Puns

A joke often sounds great when you hear it from a friend after knocking back a few beers in a bar, and positively side-splitting when recounted for the second time during a futile quest for pizza, a taxi or the way home after a few more beers. The same joke turns the stomach when heard for the third time the next morning, over the hammering in your head. Equally, a "clever" pun or catchy play on words may well come back to haunt you later.

Many domain names have popularised the "minimalist spelling" approach in an attempt to differentiate themselves from the morass of similar names. Usages such as "2" for "to", "4" for "4", "U" for "you" and dozens more have all been deployed in the quest for a good domain name. I am not sweepingly condemning this practice, but please, please, seek a second opinion. And a third! What seemed like a great domain name on the spur of the moment may prove to be far less clever after the second or third visit to a web site bearing that name.

 

When investing, think like an investor...

A good commercial domain name must be able to distinguish itself from the crowd of pretenders to the throne. Some ways you can try and distance yourself from this crowd include:

Consider the target audience

Try and aim a domain name at a specific, but broad, market. Use search tools and other resources to narrow down categories of businesses, and then try and find domain names that would be of interest to such businesses. To revisit the travel industry, for which I seem to have an unexplainable passion, sites such as "departure-lounge.com" or "holidayweb.com" would seem to offer a certain attraction. Hackers might like "cypherpunk.com", or possibly even "cryptofascist.com."

Follow trends... or create them

If you are serious about picking good domain names, try and follow the trends on the Internet. There are thousands of sites that provide information on the latest net developments -- make use of them. Even the daily newspaper may prove a fertile source of information. Current hot topics include on-line banking and stock trading, intranets, on-line marketing and sales and more. Remember that if it is good to catch the edge of the current wave, it is positively wonderful to be the first to paddle out to the next one.

Act on a whim

Creativity does not lend itself easily to logic. If you are hit with a great idea, and nobody else has noticed its potential yet, go for it. Don't hesitate, have second thoughts or dither. The exception to this is any domain name that might fail to pass muster under Golden Rule 1.

 

 

Buy up all the alternatives to a domain name

This Golden Rule applies especially to companies, or to individuals with very deep pockets. Remember to check the singular and plural forms of your domain name, and to make liberal use of the "-" in forming domain names. For instance, the domain name catsnack.com might foster the following: catsnacks.com, cat-snack.com & cat-snacks.com.

Use a thesaurus, and a little lateral thinking. If a domain name containing the word "money" is already taken, how about "cash", "credit", "finance"...?

Protect your trademark against similar domain names. A dispute is currently going on between Yahoo and Ya-hoo cakes, for instance.

If you have a great idea, don't let somebody ride your tail. Equally, please see Golden Rule 4 before parting company with thousands of dollars to register lots of permutations of a single name.

 

Don't "tailgate"

If you are a serious investor, you should be leery of "tailgating" on another domain name unless you feel that it has enormous potential. A company is hardly likely to snap up "ABCDEF.com" the week after its main competitor grabbed "ABC-DEF.com" for its own.

On the other hand if you hear of a really fantastic domain name, you could try skirting around the edges of the same name. For example, mail.com could give rise to mail.org, mail.net, mailer.com and more. Although the "clones" will be worth less than the original, they may well have some intrinsic value of their own.

Beware: Never try to tailgate on a registered trademark!

 

Don't rush, but don't dawdle

Don't be lured into buying up the first domain name you can think of. Think some more, sleep on it, ask your friends for their opinions. Although the supply of domain names is running out, it is better to expend a little more thought at the beginning of the process to save money later. After all, an unmarketable name that you would not want to use yourself if nothing but a liability.

At the same time, don't sit on a good idea forever, because I guarantee "forever" will never come, as somebody else will stumble on the same idea sooner or later and take it away from you.